ASTANA, Kazakhstan: “Putin & Xi Compete for Influence at Central Asian Summit”, The leaders of Russia and China were in Kazakhstan on Wednesday (Jul 3) for a regional summit, seeking to harden anti-Western alliances and press their influence in the strategic Central Asian region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Wednesday morning for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – a Beijing-led regional bloc that covers Central Asia, India and Iran.
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow and Beijing have significantly strengthened their political, military, and economic cooperation, deepening ties amidst global geopolitical shifts.
Alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the pair view the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a crucial platform for advancing their strategic interests across Eurasia, aiming to bolster regional influence amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.
“We attach great importance to partnership cooperation within this organization,” Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov emphasized in statements to Russian state media ahead of Putin’s arrival, underscoring Russia’s commitment to strengthening collaborative efforts within the framework of the summit.
“We believe that the SCO, along with the BRICS alliance, represents the main pillars of the new world order and serves as a driving force in establishing genuine multilateralism in global affairs,” he added, highlighting their strategic significance in shaping international relations.
Both Russia and China have railed against what they call a US-led “hegemony” on the world stage.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said earlier this week that Beijing believed the SCO summit would “help build more consensus among all parties and make contributions to promoting security, stability and development of member countries”, and advance “lasting peace and common prosperity in the world”.
